Writing Fantasy & Science Fiction: How to Create Out-of-This-World Novels and Short Stories

good quality and price. fast delivery. nice gift.

I really think this is helping me to get my story(s) on its feet. It has some great advice and the notes it has you take really help organize your thoughts into something useful. Very happy with this!

This is a "different" book in terms of helping you write Science Fiction and Fantasy. The first hundred-odd pages are an overview of the basics of writing/selling the two title genres, written by Orson Scott Card. For its length, his discussion is good, and suggested a potential market for a short story I'm thinking out. But that part is only the first 100 pages, out the book's 400 total.The rest of the book is a series of discussions on different topics, written by a collection of editors at Writer's Digest. They cover a variety of topics of *potential* interest to the writer, depending on their story and subject. This part of the book consists of 10 chapters, on topics that include such topics as "Traditional Fantasy Cultures," "Magic," "Witchcraft and Pagan Paths," "Creatures of Myth and Legend," and "Anatomy of a Castle." Some of these chapters give you perhaps a paragraph to a page of writing suggestions/ techniques. The rest seems intended to give you a jump start on research topics you might wish to explore. For instance, many of these chapters include lexicons of words you might encounter -- if your Medival fantasy has a farmer talking, you can learn an odd-shaped piece of farmable land is called a "gore," or that the "headland" is the space used at the edge of a field to turn a plow around. Need to know the respective importance of a Duke to an Earl? This book will tell you. The chapters about Magic and Witches do not talk about the details of legends, myth, and folklore -- they are talking of real, actual practices and belief systems in use today and the recent few centuries past. This kind of thing can be immensely helpful if your story needs it, or if the discussions of power animals, Wicca, or Santeria inspire new lines of thought. If your story has nothing to do with the particular topic, however, things can become eye-glazing.It's a good book, for what is. It's not a book I regret having, but it's also not the first book I'd recommend to somebody wanting help with writing Science Fiction or Fantasy.

Orson Scott Card has a beautiful way with words.

I have read a few dozen books on writing fiction, and this is the only book that I would enjoy reading as much as a sci-fi or fantasy reader as a fantasy writer.

I love this book. It took two books that I consider essential reference guides and consolidated them; also providing me with some additional information on the industry. The only thing I was disappointed by is that i m this volume cut out the section Card wrote on living as a writer. Card's candid information should have been included.Overall, this was a great purchase, and I will be getting copies for some of my writer friends for Christmas.

This is a great reference book for fantasy writers. Whether you are new to fantasy writing or on your third book, this is a great resource to have on hand to help you develop ideas. Lots of great lists and descriptions in this one. I highly recommend.

My big gripe is I bought this book listed as brand new sold by Amazon.com. And what I received was an obviously used book that has a scruffle at the top corner on the spine, and the front cover is creased. The pages are slightly yellowing. I'm keeping it, but it shouldn't have been sold as new so I'm knocking off a star.That being said, this book is the required reading material for a workshop via Writer's Digest, (now owned by Penguin Random House) titled 'Writing the Science Fiction & Fantasy Novel.' It's over $300 so I thought I'd read the book solo, plus the book looks like it's pretty decent without an instructor. At the least it may inspire a few thoughts or ideas. If you're brand new it'll be helpful as it gives you the general layout of how fantasy usually goes, but if you're smart you'll use it as a launching pad for going beyond the concepts given. If you're already experienced you probably won't find it as helpful, so I'd list this as a great starting point for someone just starting out. Or a decent reminder for someone who isn't. But that's just my opinion.